Foldable support for ironing tables



April 27, 1937. c, w SADENWATER 2,078,587

FOLDABLE SUPPORT FOR IRONING TABLES Filed'Aug. 3, 1936 gwuc'wtoas CHARLES M SADENWATER Patented Apr. 27, 1937 FOLDABLE SUPPORT FOR IRONING TABLES Charles W. Sadenwater, Saginaw, Mich., assignor to Saginaw Manufacturing 00., Saginaw, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 3,

7 2 Claims.

This invention relates to ironing boards and as to its more specific features, to a foldable device of this type. Among the objects of the invention are, to provide an ironing board with a new and useful arrangement of foldable supports which in their erected position will hold the board firmly and without springing or loose joint action when the apparatus is subjected to the pressures and stresses incident to the use of such boards, particularly sleeve boards; the provision of a device of the class described which shall be simple in arrangement, compact, self-locking when erected, and foldable or extensible by a single movement of the users hand; and the provision of a foldable board-supporting structure of such type capable of being made in large quantitles at a cost permitting it to be sold at a low price.

The invention accordingly comprises the boardsupporting elements and combinations, features of construction and arrangements of parts exemplified in the structures to be described hereinafter, the scope of the application of the invention being indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which are illustrated two of various embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a sleeve board folded, as seen from the under side.

Fi 2 is a side view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the under side of a sleeve board embodying my invention in a modified form.

Fig. 4 is a side view.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the leg structure in bail form.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, there is illustrated at numeral l a sleeve board of the usual type having a foldable supporting structure which comprises two parallel rails or skids 2, 3 disposed lengthwise, one on each side of the longitudinal center line of the board; and four leg members 4, 5, 6, 1 that connect the rails to the board so as to cause the rails to have parallel motion toward and away from the board when the apparatus is being folded or unfolded.

Each leg has an end pivotally connected to a rail, as at 8, its other end being pivoted at 9 to a bracket member Ill, which is fastened to the board I. Thus, the legs are hinged to the board. When the apparatus is folded, as shown in Fig. 1, the legs lie against the under side of the board and extend from the brackets rearwardly, that 1936, Serial No. 93,991

is, toward the wider or back end of the board. When the legs are fully extended they are positioned as shown at a in Fig. 2, somewhat beyond center in the other direction, that is, they extend from the brackets I0 downwardly and forwardly.

A cross bar H is fixed to the rails 2, 3 intermediate the front legs 4, 6 and rear legs 5, 1. Just back of the front pair of legs 4, 6, is a second cross bar l2, likewise connecting the rails. Bar I2 is so situated in relation to the front leg pivots 8, as is shown in Fig. 2, that the front legs, 4, 6, when in the inclined or beyond-center position there illustrated, will take against bar I2 and are thus kept from further movement in the rearward direction. Thus when the legs are in their beyondcenter position and inclined relatively to a vertical plane Y-Y through their pivotal connections to the skids, the stop member or cross bar l2 keeps the legs from further angular movement.

It will be observed from Fig. 2 that loads W or like downward pressure upon board I has the effect of increasing the pressure of legs 4, 6 against the bar l2, thereby more firmly locking the board in erect position. Also it will be noted that endwise stresses applied to the loaded board, either in the forward or the backward direction, as indicated by the arrows at X, will not affect the stability or rigidity of the board or cause it to fold.

To prevent the apparatus from slipping on a table surface while the board is being used for ironing, I secure rubber pads I3 to the bottom faces of the rails 2, 3, as shown.

The device is returned to its folded position by pushing the rails rearwardly, that is, to the right in Fig. 2, so they move along the path indicated by the curved arrow and rest flat against the board, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the form shown in. Figs. 3, 4, 5 the legs 4a, 5a are made of heavy wires bent in the form of bails, hingedl by means of staples I4 to the board and having outwardly projecting pintles I 5, it that enter holes in the rails 2a, 3a and are kept in place by the spring action of the bail. The cross bars ll, which connect the rails, are located just forward of and slightly above the pintles l6 of the legs. The legs 4a, So, take against the bars l'l, when the table is in erected position, that is, with the legs beyond center in the forward direction, as indicated at b, Fig. 4. This form of the apparatus may be folded by grasping one of the bars I! and moving the rails in the direction indicated by the curved arrow.

From the above it will be seen that this improvement provides a foldable sleeve board which is extremely simple in construction, requires no latches, brace bars, or other fastening devices to hold it in its erected position, and is adapted to be folded and unfolded easily, yet when in use is rigidly braced in all directions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an ironing table comprising a board having legs hinged thereto and skids pivotally connected to the ends of the legs and arranged for movement forward and backward parallel to the board; in combination, stopmembers secured to the skids adjacent the said pivotal connections and in the path of angular movement of the legs,

said stop members being positioned for engagement by said legs when the legs are in. beyondcenter position, inclined relatively to a vertical plane through the said pivotal connections to the skids, said stop members being adapted to keep the legs from further angular movement.

2. In an ironing table comprising a board having legs hinged thereto and skids pivotally connected to the ends of the legs and arranged for movement forward and backward parallel to the board; in combination, cross bars connecting the skids in spaced relation at a place adjacent the said pivotal connections and in the path of an.- gular movement of the legs, said cross bars being positioned for engagement by said legs when the legs are in beyond center position, inclined relatively to a vertical plane through the said pivotal connections to the skids, said cross bars being 

